I'm the Hen Ferchetan. This is my take on the world through the eyes of Wales. While mostly about Welsh politics (that most famous of dour topics!) I try to scatter some humour around, but I doubt anyone but me will find it funny! Have a read, and if it bores you then feel free to never come back!

Thursday, 3 July 2008

I'm Lazy, You Die

I am not an organ donor. I don't carry an organ donor card. Why? Have i got a religious objection to my body being harvested after death? Nope. Am I sickened by the idea of being buried without some parts of me? Nope. Am I afraid that my family's trauma would be intensified by seeing parts of me put into others? Nope. In truth, the reason that I haven't got an organ donor card is that I am lazy. I have never bothered to fill in the forms or call the number or whatever it is you do to get a card.

That's pathetic I know, but I'm pretty sure that I'm far from being the only person who's laziness has prevented them sorting out organ donation. When I realise that one Welsh person dies every fortnight because they couldn't find an organ to transplant it shames me. But not enough to take 5minutes to get it sorted.

That's why I hope the Welsh Government bite the bullet and bring in the "opt-out" system that they've been talking about for ages. Such a system would mean that we are all potential organ donors, unless we make a point of opting out. So the lazy among us would automatically become life-savers instead of organ-wasters. It's a controversial move, and I can understand the argument of the critics that such an important thing should be decided by every person and not thrust on us.

That argument doesn't hold water though. There's three kind of people when it comes to organ donating. Those who have made a point of getting a card, those who have made a point of not getting a card, and the rest of us who want to make a point but can't get off our fat arses long enough to do so (e.g. me). Under an opt out system those who really want to give will still give, those who object will opt out and the rest of us who don't see it as a massive question of morals will become givers, possibly saving 150 additional people each year.

It seems that public opinion is staring to align with the government's plans. A recent poll had 48% of Welsh people supporting an opt out system.

While the 48% is what makes the headline, the poll has another figure which is a much stronger argument in favour of a new system. Only 11% of respondents did not want their organs removed after death. 72% wanted to donate, while 12% wanted their family to decide. 72% of the Welsh population is 2.16m people. The amount of registered donors in Wales is currently at 780,000. That's 1.38m lazy people who, like me, could be depriving others of life.

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About Me

I'm the Hen Ferchetan. I mainly write on the weird and wonderful world of Welsh politics. I'm an absolute nobody with no inside knowledge, no axes to grind and no election to win.
What i have to say is what i have to say - if it bores you, so be it, if it entertains you, feel free to come back!